Metal Mouth Message Board

On my last appointment they put brackets or bands on my last molars--spacers the week before. Up until this time they were naked but all of the rest of my teeth were bracketed and archwired together. The rub is they didn't bother attaching anything to them. Has anyone had this happen? I certainly didn't need any more metal in my mouth if they weren't going to be attached to anything!! Needless to say I was not happy! I was given some lame excuse that didn't even seem to make sense. It was hard to discuss much with the lineup of chairs--me and a bunch of kids who never question anything!! Just wondering if anyone else feels like they do things for the convenience of the office? Do you ever feel like ortho offices are an assembly line with no privacy. Thanks for letting me vent!

Hi krennen - My ortho did this too. When I got the heavier wire on top, she used those brackets, but the bottoms are still unattached to the wire. Your ortho may be thinking about upgrading your wire soon?? Maybe think about it this way: having to get used to the extra brackets will be annoying whether it's now or later. Eventually you would have to go through the adjustment, you're just getting it over with sooner.

And sorry about your chair lineup. That would be really frustrating to me too. I would just try and ask your questions regardless, or ask if you can speak with the ortho for a second in their office (or away from the lineup). Good luck to you.

I've also got the line of chairs, but everyone in the office is very nice and I feel comfortable asking questions. Plus I use the time to spy a bit and learn about what's happening to other people and what might be in store for me. Today there was this poor little 13 year old girl who has to wear what must be one of the worst things -- a protraction face mask. It's a metal bar the length of her chin to her forehead. It rests on the chin and forehead and she straps in onto her mouth with rubber bands -- and then she has to sleep with this thing on every night. I thought regular old headgear was a pain when I was a teen going through the first round of this, but ack -- thankfully I don't have to wear anything like that torture device!

I found a picture of one: http://www.jco-online.com/product-news/?pnid=54 The top rests on your forehead, the bottom cups your chin and the rubberbands from somewhere in your mouth hook onto that middle piece.

Just thought I'd share!

I too wondered why I had brackets on my back teeth before getting a wire there. I was really upset about that because they were tearing my cheeks up. In the end I am glad I got over all that cheek soreness all at one time. I think they attached the back molars after the 3-4 adjustment. That was enough getting used to. When they attach the back molars it is sort of like getting new braces on those 4 teeth all over again.

It all worked out in the end. This way too you will not have to have the big cheek separators or whatever those things are called.

Thanks for the replies! Fortunately my one sore cheek from the new bracket has settlled down. Boy those salt water rinses did help. Thanks KK for always telling newbies about them!
Glad to also hear I'm not the only one this happened to.